Roccus, have you ever watched ‘ Maine Cabin Masters’ I find it hard to believe the price they quote. Albeit I’m a NYC guy but I can’t see it being done, maybe TV revenue? Also how would they deal with the sewage in this pristine area?
AAMOF we just started watching it because the DYI channel has magically become unlocked on our satellite package.
Like ANY home improvement "reality show" the prices are just WRONG, rural Maine not withstanding. Most times the jobs are $20K, although one we just watched it was an extravagant $60K, but that was almost a complete tear down and rebuild.
It seems that with many of these shows they're just charging for materials, not labor. All contractors hate these shows because it gives folks very unrealistic expectations in terms of cost and time, although the time frame of Cabin Masters jobs is usually appropriate. The $60K project took 7 months.
As for sewage for folks not living in a town with community sewage options, there are 4 options depending on what town you're in and your soil type. Don't forget that unlike LI, which is a giant sandbox, Maine is mostly hard ledge, although the coast can be marine clay around ledge. Blasting out foundations around here is quite common, but when you build on a rock, your sewage options become limited.
- Ye olde privy house: Yup in some places you can still dig a hole and put a shed with a crescent mooned door on it. This one is being phased away, but is usually grandfathered for existing structures.
- The Honey Dipper Special: separate sewage and grey water, putting the sewage directly in tanks to be carted away. The grey water can be jettisoned to where ever you like. I've seen this on houses built on small, rocky islands. I guess they just have the local marina's Crap Barge motor over and pump them out.
- Classic septic tank and leach field system. This is the system that is enforce if ground conditions allow. I have this and it's not too bad. My tank is 1500 gallons and needs to get pumped every 4 years. Leach field is "uphill" so I have to pump leach water uphill, but need to do that because of topography, soil, and regulated distance from water requirements.
- Overboard Discharge: Another system that Maine is trying to have phased out. The days of untreated, direct overboard discharge are long gone; the systems in place must have a tank of some sort for the solids and either chemical, UV or both treatment of the waste water prior to being discharged. This is another system trying to be phased out. AAMOF, the local school about 1/2 upriver from me just had their system switched over to a leach field 3 years ago.
And that friends, ends today's "$hit $eminar"...